


Aren't Puppies Adorable?

by Chasing_the_Cold



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Everyone Needs A Hug, Field Trip, High School, Kaiba Seto Needs a Hug, M/M, Minor Original Character(s), Pining, Slow Burn, Temporarily Unrequited Love, Violetshipping, and they were roommates (omg they were roommates), kaiba is a socially anxious mess, puppyshipping - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 06:01:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29961996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chasing_the_Cold/pseuds/Chasing_the_Cold
Summary: Seto Kaiba and the geek brigade are roped into going on a class field trip, and who would Kaiba be stuck in a cabin with? Of course it couldn't be his favorite mutt.... right?
Relationships: Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Kaiba Seto
Comments: 7
Kudos: 18





	1. The Beginning

The morning was full of cold misty rain and reluctant excitement. It was about 5 in the morning and a 10 on the shit scale, but Seto Kaiba was used to that at this point. You don’t become a CEO of a company by sleeping in until noon, after all.

  
Half the senior class stood outside the doors of school. They would have been inside the lobby if the doors weren’t locked, but the teacher was running late, most likely a result of the shockingly long line at her favorite chain café.

  
Kaiba resisted a shudder despite his jacket. He had thought his coat might have been too flashy for a school field trip, and he was regretting his decision to leave it at home. He was considering an impromptu removal of a door with a brick when a lime green van pulled into the lot.

  
“Alright, kiddos,” Mrs. Cowell began, steaming coffee in hand. “When the bus gets here, get to your seat. I have the list up here if you need a reminder.”

  
Kaiba didn’t need to look at it, choosing to stand still. There were less than 20 students here, among which Kaiba recognized the geek squad. As long as none of them tried to interact with him, he’d be fine.

  
“Oh hey Kaiba.” Crap.

  
“Mutou.” Kaiba nodded.

  
“Are you looking forward to this trip?” Yugi yawned. “I wish it weren’t so early, but I think we’ll all enjoy it anyway.”

  
“There’s no point to this. Teamwork training? Please.”

  
“Well, I think it’s important-”

  
Kaiba rolled his eyes. “Mutou, spare me your friendship speech. We’re not friends.”

  
Yugi shrugged. “Well at least I’m not Anzu. She’d lecture you for saying that.”

  
The bus pulled up, giving Kaiba an excuse not to answer. He needed at least two more coffees for that.

  
Kaiba secured himself a window seat in his designated row. Teenagers running down the aisle and crashing into his arm did not appeal to him. He took out his laptop to begin an email draft. Something about a bug in the latest duel disk design. The project was going slower than expected, and he intended to speed it up.

  
“Working already, moneybags?” the blond said as he slumped into the seat beside him.

  
Kaiba resisted the urge to glare at him. “Go sit in your seat like a good dog and stop bugging me.”

  
“Alright.” Jounouchi slid further down into the seat. “And I ain’t a dog, Kaibs.”

  
Kaiba glared at him. “What, are you as stupid as you look? I said sit in your seat.”

  
Jou sighed. “Unfortunately for us,” he yawned, “this is my seat. End of J, beginning of K.”

  
Kaiba cursed inwardly. Of course he had to make a fool out of himself. Not that Jounouchi would care; the mutt hardly noticed anything out of the ordinary. No, Kaiba just wanted to keep up his reputation as a teenage genius, especially to a dweeb like Jounouchi. “Fine, just don’t get your fleas on me.”

  
Jou glared at him, but got distracted as Yugi sat behind them. Returning to his work, Kaiba propped his knees on the seat in front of him. This was going to be a long four hours.

***

  
Two hours into the trip, Kaiba could feel his headache pulsing from behind his eyes. His seat-mate was alternating between turning around to talk to his spiky haired friend, trying to sleep, and playing on his phone. Kaiba closed his laptop to preserve its battery. The bus was much quieter than it was when they left. Most students were either listening to music, drifting to sleep, or, in Jounouchi’s case, both. In front of him, a student was seeing how many pens she could fit into Bakura’s hair while he slept. There had to be at least 10 so far.

  
Jounouchi looked like he was about to drift off again too. Kaiba debated trying. His head was violently demanding caffeine with sharp stabbing pains with little hope of relief. But the other side of him insisted that he kept productive, whether that be writing emails on his phone or drawing up new designs for duel monster cards. He was thinking of another dragon card, “Purple-Eyes Dragon” perhaps, although it didn’t have quite the ring it needed for sales.

  
He checked his phone. The trip was only halfway done, and Kaiba assumed they’d be stopping at a rest stop to stretch their legs.

  
As if on cue, Mrs. Cowell stood unsteadily in the aisle. “We’ll be stopping at the mall as a rest stop. We’ll stay there for half an hour before heading out again.” She glared pointedly at a few select students. “Make sure you are back here by 8.”

  
Kaiba poked the man sitting next to him. “Wake up, lowlife.”

  
Jounouchi blinked at him groggily. “Wha’ time ‘s it?”

  
“Time for you to get a watch.” It was a dumb joke, but it had to be said.

  
Jounouchi sighed. “Hilarious, moneybags. Why’d you wake me up?”

  
“We’re taking a rest break, and I’d prefer not to climb over you.”

  
The duo exited the bus, and Kaiba made a beeline towards the nearest cafe. Most places were just opening, which was a recipe for fresh coffee. He wouldn’t have even cared if it was microwaved instant coffee, just as long as it was something with at least 80mg of caffeine. Twice that if he was lucky. She handed him a cup of coffee and a complimentary donut for being the first customer of the day.  
He thanked the barista, who looked too tired to notice the child prodigy she was serving or just didn’t care. Kaiba didn’t blame her; he didn’t have the energy to recognize half the people he talked to. The tip he left was generous (he was Seto Fucking Kaiba), and returned outside to enjoy his coffee in peace.

  
His plans were foiled when the geek brigade invaded the outdoor table he was sitting at, carrying their assorted breakfasts.

  
Honda strolled up next to him. “Scooch over, wouldn’t you?”

  
Kaiba glared back at him, unable to think of a fitting insult before complying. “Only because I don’t want to get whatever contagious disease you all have,” he finally said.

  
The rest of the squadron ignored him as they chose their seats around him. Jounouchi ended up sitting on his other side. They continued to chatter about whatever game was going on these days. Other than duel monsters of course.

  
“The thing about No-Brainer Monsters™ is that it’s more about the puzzles in the game instead of the monsters,” Yugi started, “I played it with my grandpa a few times. It’s gaining a lot of popularity in America.”

  
“Nyeh, so it’s kinda like Duel Monsters?” Jounouchi asked.

  
“It’s nothing like Duel Monsters!” Yugi replied indignantly, “It’s got puzzles.”

  
“Why don’t we play it sometime, Mouto?” Kaiba challenged, “I’d be honored to crush you.”

  
“Oh you’re on, big-shot.” Yugi smirked, taking a bite from his scone. “It’ll only take a few minutes for me to beat you.”

  
“You tell’em, Yug.” Jou planted a hearty slap on the shorter man’s back. “You’ve never lost to him before, and I betcha ain’t gonna start soon.”

  
“Yugi, keep your dog on his leash.”

  
“I ain’t a dog, Kaiba!” Jounouchi barked.

  
“Settle down, girls,” Anzu interjected, “can’t we just get along for one meal.”

  
This was met with a few grumbles, but the group complied, dissolving back into idle conversation.

  
Kaiba discreetly placed his free donut in front of Jounouchi, noticing that he wasn’t eating. The blond cocked an eyebrow in question.

  
“It’s yours.”

  
“I don’t take charity, moneybags.”

  
“It’s not charity, it’s a donut.”

  
“What, you’re too good for donuts?” Jounouchi said, already biting into the frosted monstrosity.

  
“Hm, I’d just rather not have my arteries chocked with the fats and sugars.”

Jounouchi shrugged. “Your loss.”

  
He turned back to his friends to argue back about something Ootogi had said. Kaiba didn’t pay attention and instead pulled out his phone to deal with some emails. Most were updates about software, but one was from a condescending businessmen who thought an 19 year old couldn’t run a company. He gave up, electing to read the texts Mokuba had sent him.

~Mokie  
Hey big bro! Hope your trip goes well :)  
Sorry I didn’t see you off.

Kaiba inwardly smiled. Some people never change.

~Seto  
I’ll try to make the most of it. I have to sit next to the idiot.

~Mokie  
?

~Seto  
The mutt. Jounouchi

~Mokie  
Ugh keep me out of your unresolved sexual tension or whatever

  
~Seto  
Mokuba, that wasn’t funny.

~Mokie  
Yeah yeah, whatever. I just know that’s not a problem for you ;)

Kaiba didn’t satisfy him with an answer.

  
The students flooded back onto the bus, resuming the same spots as before. Kaiba put in some earbuds, debating whether to listen to music, a podcast, or an audiobook. He chose a true crime podcast. Interesting enough to keep him occupied, but not necessary to remember specific details.

  
The bus started up again, shifting the students around in their seats. And then they were off.


	2. Chapter 2

Kaiba didn’t know how he got to this point: listening to an obscure criminal while a blond lightly snored on his shoulder. He had debated shoving him into the aisle; he didn’t like being touched. It always ended in pain, regardless of the path it took. But Jounouchi was warm, and the bus was so cold. Even through the multiple layers of clothing, he could feel the heat radiating up his arm. It was really the best for both of them. As an added bonus, he wouldn’t have to hear the fleabag complain about being tired later in the day. At least, that’s what he told himself.

Said blond stirred next to him, sitting up without noticing what his pillow was. “Wha’ time is it?”

“Quarter ‘til 9,” Kaiba responded, sitting straighter in his seat. “we’ll be there in 15 minutes.”

“Hmm.” Jounouchi stretched. Kaiba thought he looked more like a cat than a dog. Not that he’d mention that. Dog related insults were much easier to come up with. “I can’t wait to get outta this seat.”

“I can’t wait either. It was nice not listening to your voice.”

“Hey, what’s wrong with my voice?”

“Well, since you asked-” Kaiba was cut off by the shrill yell of the teacher.

“Okay kiddos!” Mrs. Cowell shouted over the chatter of students, “I’m going to pass out your room keys! When we get there, we’ll check in and then you’ll have about an hour to settle into your room. Unless there’s a serious issue, there will be no room switching.”

Kaiba took his key. “Cabin 5.” So it was more of a cabin than a room. He glanced over at Jounouchi’s key. He was horrified to discover that he was also in Cabin 5. This would just make this situation awkward. “Mrs. Cowell? I’d like to get my own cabin.”

Mrs. Cowell looked at him. “Nope, sorry, we can’t do that. There’s not enough cabins for everyone to have their own.” She looked thoughtful. “I know you don’t like people, but this will be a good experience for you.”

Kaiba slumped back down in his seat. That wasn’t really the problem here.

“Ha, i feel sorry for whoever’s your roommate,” Jou said.

“Yeah, I feel sorry for you too, flea-bag.” Kaiba held up his key.

Jounouchi took a moment for the news to sink in. “Wait-”

The bus stopped and there was a sudden rush to get off the stuffy bus.

“Kids! Kids, remember to stand in line while we check in. Don’t go running off just yet!” Mrs. Cowell tried her best to yell while the sea of students started to wander off.

She somehow managed to herd them all into the check-in tent, which took about ten minutes more than it should have. They all received a water bottle and a map of the grounds, which were about the size you’d expect for a summer camp (although it was more of a “senior year fall field trip”), as well as a schedule for what they’d be doing during the week. He would look at it later. He noticed that most days ended in a campfire, which would most likely be used for announcements and updates.

“Okay,” Mrs. Cowell began, “you all can get your luggage and move into your rooms!”

Kaiba grabbed his bags and made his way to Cabin 5.

The area was surrounded by forest, secluded aside from the highway that passed the entrance. The nearest city was likely 10-15 miles out, which wasn’t a far drive, but certainly didn’t make for a great hiking trip in case of an emergency. Kaiba counted 10 cabins, not including the staff and teacher ones that were larger and apart from the rest. That meant that he could have gotten his own cabin, but he wasn’t going to argue for that at this point. He thought he spotted a lake behind the cabins, but couldn’t see enough of it to be certain.

Jounouchi caught up with him, Yugi and the others having departed for their own cabins.

“Whatcha think we’re going to do during the week?” He beamed.

The overwhelming positive attitude would have been cute if it hadn’t been so annoying. “There’s a schedule, dork. Maybe if you learned to read, it would be of more use to you.”

“Hey, I can read!” Jounouchi defended, “I just haven’t looked at it yet. Sorry for trying to start a chat, asshole.”

“Puppies are more bearable when they’re quiet.”

“Yeah well, you’re more bearable when you act like a human being.”

Kaiba suppressed his frustration. Despite his love for aggravating the mutt, he didn’t like being considered inhuman. “Whatever.”

From the outside, the cabin looked rather like a shed, all wooden with a sloped roof and no more than two windows. Definitely not a luxury cabin. When he stepped inside, he found a single bunk bed tucked into the corner, leaving a small carpeted area near the front of the cabin and a small bathroom in the opposing corner. Kaiba didn’t know how they got plumbing all the way out here, but he wasn’t going to complain about it. It was better than the port-a-potty alternatives. 

Jounouchi followed in closely behind him, dropping his blue duffle bag onto the floor. “Man, I always wanted a bunk bed as a kid.” He said excitedly.

Kaiba couldn’t relate; they had bunk beds in the orphanage, and he hated them. He didn’t mention that of course, he just didn’t want to hear the other complaining. It had nothing to do with Jounouchi being cute while rambling about all the uses for a bunk bed. 

“-and we could make this into a tent!” He pointed emphatically. “What do you think?”

Kaiba, who hadn’t really been listening, replied, “whatever.”

Jounouchi mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like “kill-joy” before starting to unpack. “By the way, do you want top or bottom?”

Kaiba tossed his pillow onto the higher bunk. “Top.”

Jounouchi continued unpacking, but Kaiba elected to leave his stuff in the bags for now. There was a set of drawers, but he wasn’t entirely sure if he trusted them. Who knows what sorts of insects could be in there. Instead, he pulled out a mug and filled it with water.

“Whatcha doing?” Jou asked, having unpacked in record time.

“Making coffee.” Kaiba set the cup in the microwave.

Jounouchi raised his eyebrow. “You already had a cup earlier today.”

“And I need another one.”

“Just take a nap. It’s not like we don’t have time.”

“Coffee’s more efficient.” He stirred the instant coffee crystals into the boiling water. “Besides, I’ve got work to do.”

Jounouchi scoffed. “What, can’t take a day off?”

“I’m the CEO of a major company,” he explained, “time is money.”  
Jou snorted, kicking off his shoes. “Right, and you don’t got a whole lot of that.” He collapsed onto his bed. “Face it, moneybags. A few days off isn’t going to destroy your company.”

Kaiba busied himself with drinking his coffee to avoid responding. He had to keep moving. Time not spent working was time wasted. Not that he’d expect others to recognize this. He grabbed his laptop from his bag. He at least had time to finish the rework of the latest debug.

Low Battery.

Kaiba sighed at the inconvenience, grabbing his bag for his charger. Where was it? His blood ran cold, realizing that he had forgotten it. It’s not a big deal, he told himself. The world was not going to end because he didn’t have his laptop.

But God, it felt like the world was ending. He grabbed his phone.

~Seto  
Mokuba, where’s my laptop charger. I need it.

~Seto  
????

A few minutes passed before his brother responded. 

~Mokie  
It’s at home. I told you not to bring your laptop.

~Seto  
I need it. Can you get it to me?

~Mokie  
No  
You’re on vacation. Take a break

Kaiba sighed, frustrated. Why, out of all times, did Mokuba pick now to meddle in his business.

~Mokie  
Also, I’m blocking emails to your phone  
Enjoy your field trip :)

“Fuck,” he said under his breath. Shit. What would his father think of him now? You're so disappointing, Seto. You can’t even remember a laptop charger. How can you manage a company?

“Shut up, you old fart,” he murmured darkly. His father was dead. He shouldn’t have this much influence over things like this.

“Nygh, you say somethin’?” Jounouchi yawned.

“No, go back to sleep like a good dog”

“I ain’t a mutt, moneybags.”

“You certainly fooled me.”

Jounouchi rolled his eyes. “Nyeh, stop insulin’ me, rich boy.”

“Geez Kaiba,” Jou sat up to glare at him. “I’ve been trying to be civil here, got it? We’re gonna spend a week here, and you know Cowell won’t let us switch cabins.”

“Whatever.” He drained the rest of his instant coffee. “What’s on the schedule for today?” 

“Greeting Assembly at 12. Haven’t looked past that, except lunch is at 1.” Jounouchi stretched, back cracking with a satisfying pop. “Geez how long does a greeting take?”

“An hour apparently,” Kaiba responded. “They’ll probably go over rules.”

Jou grunted and rolled off the bed. He grabbed the schedule. “Looks like they don’t have much planned for today. I guess they just want us to settle in today.”

“Hm.” Kaiba glanced at the clock. They had a few minutes before they had to leave, so he got out a small mirror to make sure he was still presentable. The concealer under his eyes was still holding up, so he didn’t need to touch them up.

“You look as pretty as always, Kaibs,” Jounouchi sighed, “now are we going or not?”

Kaiba almost blushed despite the mocking tone. “I know,” he responded with a smirk, “shall we go now?”

“What, no witty comeback, Mr. I’m So Smart?”

“No, Mr. Going to Make Us Late.”

The duo pulled on their jackets and began the trek outside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I always appreciate suggestions and criticisms. This chapter was a little slow, but I hope y'all like it!

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! Thanks for reading. This is my first work so I'd appreciate any and all feedback. I don't have a set schedule for uploading chapters, but I'll get them up once they're ready.


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